noun
- literary works featuring roguish heroes who live by their wits in a corrupt society
Usage: literary term; plural form
Examples
- The professor assigned several picaresques for the Spanish literature course.
- Don Quixote and Lazarillo de Tormes are classic picaresques.
- Modern picaresques often feature antiheroes navigating urban landscapes.
- The library’s collection includes picaresques from various European traditions.
- Students analyzed the social criticism embedded in these picaresques.
- The film adaptation captured the satirical spirit of the original picaresques.